The Burien Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department has been awarded a $750,000 grant from the state Salmon Recovery Funding Board to return the northern shoreline of Seahurst Park to a restored, more accessible, and more natural condition.

Since being armored in the 1970s, beach elevations in Seahurst Park have dropped 3 to 4 feet due to wave scouring and the disconnection of the beach from sources of sediment.

The changes in the beach have significantly degraded the quality of habitat for salmon and the organisms they depend on, particularly forage fish. Crews will remove a seawall, rock riprap, groins, paving and fill.

A similar project on the southern shoreline of the park to remove the seawall and restore the beach was completed in 2005.

The northern section is much larger in scale and will include recreational elements such as a playground, picnic areas and trails. Construction is scheduled for fall of 2010.

In addition to the $750,000 grant, the City of Burien will contribute $133,000 from a state grant and the Army Corps of Engineers will contribute $1,800,000 through the American Recovery Reinvestment Act.

The Salmon Recovery Funding Board on Dec. 11 announced it was awarding over $2.6 million for nine projects, including Seahurst Park, to protect and restore salmon habitat in King County.